Fiji player ratings: Forwards shine whilst backs feast in historic victory over England
Following a historic 30-22 victory over England in their Rugby World Cup warm-up at Twickenham on Saturday, here are the player ratings for Fiji.
History makers
15 Ilaisa Droasese: The full-back had a decent outing, and dealt with the high ball fairly well in tricky conditions. Made solid metres with ball in hand a secure performance. 6
14 Selestino Ravutaumada: His game started with a poor tackle attempt on Jonny May but turned into an attacking masterclass. He set up his captain twice, with one of the tries being disallowed, whilst he also set up the decisive try. The wing beat a whopping eight defenders on the day. 9
Waisea Nayacalevu would not be denied this time!
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13 Waisea Nayacalevu: Was rewarded with a try for what was an excellent display. Could have been a brace but the one was disallowed. He made more metres with ball in hand than anyone else. A top effort and one of the drivers of the historic win. 9
12 Semi Radradra: The world-class centre was a menace again today whenever he carried the ball as Max Malins realised when the Fijian sat him down after his clean break. Fairly surprising to see him go off at the back end but a positive performance heading into the Rugby World Cup. 8
11 Vinaya Habosi: The wing was having a fairly quiet game until he expertly seized an opportunistic try. He also made seven tackles in a positive outing. 7
10 Caleb Muntz: A smooth operator. Never looked flustered as he steered his team around the park. His kicking for goal was confident and accurate whilst the defensive intervention to stop Ben Earl from scoring off a cross kick was critical. Mature performance beyond his years. 8
9 Frank Lomani: Clearly a big part of how the Fijians operate through his kicking game and general game management which is a great help to his half-back partner. Had a few moments where he could have played the ball faster before he was replaced soon after the break. 6
Committed pack
8 Viliame Mata: A mammoth performance from the number eight who topped the carry charts in the clash with 12. He was also huge in defence by making 11 tackles, rounding out a very complete outing. One of the players who really drove the Fijians’ performance. 9
7 Lekima Tagitagivalu: No one else in the Test worked harder on defence as the flank finished with the most tackles (15) in what was an extremely committed effort. Did a lot of the groundwork from which the performance was built. 8
6 Albert Tuisue: Another hard worker in the Fijian pack who ultimately got the better of England on the day. Made seven tackles and carried six times in a solid effort. Perhaps did not reach the heights of his back-row partners but was quality. 7
5 Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta: Worked hard on defence making all of his tackles whilst notching up an impressive seven carries during the game. Aspects of the lineout were not on song but still a good Test for the second-row. 7
4 Isoa Nasilasila: Made an impressive eight tackles in a fairly busy outing whilst also notching up six carries. Part of a strong core that helped the Fijians get over the line. 7
3 Luke Tagi: A neat game from the tighthead, who stood up well to Ellis Genge. Worked hard to get his hands on the ball. Key to providing the backs with a platform to work with. 8
2 Sam Matavesi: Such an intelligent rugby player with just about every action of his being so calculated. Showed his ability at the breakdown as well as with ball in hand where he managed some impactful offloads. No mistakes on defence in what was a top outing. 8
1 Eroni Mawi: The loosehead scrummed really well and provided a platform in that regard but was poorly disciplined as he was yellow-carded after giving away three penalties in a row. Still a big player for Fiji but the ill-discipline counts against him. 6
Replacements: The bench did alright when introduced although soon after the introduction of several substitutions England were trying to launch their comeback. However, the side held on with Simione Kuruvoli, who played well after coming on for Lomani, scoring the decisive try. 7
READ MORE: Fiji claim historic victory over England as Twickenham stunned
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